Steve Waggott is promising sensible growth at Rovers but insists Tony Mowbray will be given a competitive budget for next season.

Waggott, alongside Mowbray, met with owners Venky’s last week as Rovers’ budget plans were finalised.

The club’s chief executive says the Rao family were supportive of the figures mentioned as Rovers plan for life back in the Championship.

Mowbray will now step-up his recruitment plans ahead of the new season and Waggott believes the face-to-face meetings over the course of three days were productive.

He said: “It’s okay doing conference calls and emails but there’s nothing like sitting in a room for three or four hours at a time going through budget lines and going through why we’re asking for certain things and putting forward all the different rationales and proposals.

“It is absolutely key to be done face-to-face so the owners can look us in the eye and they can look back at us and we can say ‘this is the aim for us, are you supportive of what we’re trying to do?’ The answers that were coming back were ‘yes, very supportive, we’re delighted with the promotion and want to build on the positivity’.

“Wanting stability at the club was a major theme, we’re going to continue to grow, not a boom or boost model, but sensible growth, and have a competitive squad in the Championship this season.

“Tony and the team all had a fantastic season last year as we all know and we have to build on that positivity, get the supporters behind the club and see where we end up next season which is going to be an exciting campaign for everyone.”

Mowbray was backed with funds in the summer and January transfer windows, with Rovers spending around £1.5m in fees.

On the latest meetings, Waggott added: “The purpose of the trip was to spend five days with the owners going through the entire budget proposal that we had put forward for the coming season.

“There was a delegation of four of us from the club, Tony Mowbray, myself, Mike Cheston the finance director and Ian Silvester, the club secretary, along with Suhail (Pasha) who is the owners’ representative at the club.

“We flew across to Pune in India, spent three long, hard days going through the budget lines, especially the focus being on the first-team, which is of major interest to the supporters.

“That was really positive.”